Socket or speed wrench



Deco I C. B. MICHEL SOCKET OR SPEED WRENCH Filed Oct. 11, 1923 III/[III 1 INVEN TOR. CI/R/STOPl/EIPB. M0051.

A TTORN Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

omrw s cnarsrornn'n 13.; MICHEL, or'oextei n, ennzroamgn, nssroavon or oim-Hnnrmo JOHN Faun-0H; or :oiexnnwn, oAnrrfonu-gra. o

I a 1 sooxnr onspnnn viratzalto'n.

App c i n ifilediofitollel' 1. 31931% 5 1m IQ- .3-

To allreohom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER B. Mrornrn, ,a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Socket or Speed Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in socket or speed wrenches and its particular object is to provide a wrench of the character described in which yielding means are introduced in the socket tending to force the nut or bolt acted on by the wrench outwardly, so. that particularly the nut cannot become lodgedwithin the socket. A further object of the invention is to facilitate the starting operation for securing a nut on a bolt by means of a socket wrench, in so far as the yielding means introduced in'the socket always hold the nut in an operative position relative to the bolt, and prevent the nut from dropping into the socket so far that it cannot reach the end of the bolt. A. further object of the invention is to facilitate the removal of the nut from the socket, which is accomplished by adjusting the tension of the yielding means in back of the nut so that normally a portion of the nut projects beyond the end of the socket. A further object of the invention is to construct the yielding means in such a manner that while positively bearing on the nut it allows the end of the bolt projecting beyond the nut to pass into the socket. Further objects and advantages of the device will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows what is commonly known as a speed Wrench having a socket for engaging a nutor a bolt head, with my improvement therein; Figure 2 an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the socket engaging with a nut; Figure 3 a horizontal section taken along line III-J11 of Figure 2; Figure 4 a detail view of a sleeve used in the socket; and Figure 5 a section through the same taken along line VV of Figure 4. While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The wrench (1) shown in Figure 1 may be made of anysuitable form, and includes I in the view shown in the drawing a brace portion (2) facilitating the turningvof the wrench. At itslower end the wrench terminates in a socket (3) formed angularly at the bottom so as to be adapted to receive a nut (4) and to turn the same when the Wrench is rotated. The nut is shown as being at the end of'the bolt (5). The device thus far described does not essentially differ from similar devices now on the market, and no novelty is claimed for 'its features.

A sleeve (6) having an angular outer circumfererce registering with the inner ciroumferenceof the socket is adapted to be slidably received in the latter. It is provided with circumferential grooves (7) adapted to receive the lower end of a spring (8), that portion of the sleeve above the groove being slightly reduced in. diameter, as shown at (9), to allow the spring to pass without interfering with the sliding motion of the sleeve. An internal groove (10) is provided near the inner end of the socket and is adapted to receive the other end of the spring (8), the last loop of which is made slightly larger than the other loops so as to firmly engage with the groove (10).

The sleeve has a perforation (12) of sufficient size to allow the bolt (5) to pass there through. The tension of the spring is such as to normally hold the sleeve within the socket at a short distance from the end thereof, so that a nut introduced in the socket will normally project a short distance beyond the same, as shown in Figure 2.

It will .be realized that as the Wrench is turned, and an endwise pressure is brought to bear on the same, the nut is forced somewhat deeper into the socket over the opposition of'the spring but as soon, as the nut is disengaged from the bolt and the endwise pressure ceases, the spring will force the nut into a. position where it project-s beyond the socket and may be readily removed.

My construction also offers a particular advantage in the starting of the nut. It frequently happens that the bolt with which the nut is to be engaged projects: only a short distance above theface of the member through which the bolt extends, and if the nut is allowed to drop into the socket to the innermost end of the same, the projecting portion of the bolt may not be long enough to be reached by the nut and in that tame the socket always projects beyond the same and may be readily started on the bolt no matter how short the projecting end of the bolt is.

ends of the spring on the sleeve and Within the socket prevents the sleeve from dropping out of the socket while if desired it can always be removed by the application of v slight force. 1

I claim;

The manner of securing the.

In a Wrench having a socket formed to receive a nut for revolving the same a coiled spring adapted to be received in the socket having an enlarged end turnadapted to be lodged in an internal groove in the socket for anchoring the spring and a sleeve 'secured to the free end of the spring for bearing on the nut, the sleeve being groovedexspring and being reduced in diameter above the grooveto allow the spring to enter the ternally to receive the other end turn of the I 

